Earl Grey School - Handbook
Welcome to the parents and prospective parents of Earl Grey School. We hope that the information contained in this handbook will help you to familiarize yourselves with our school.
In the South District we are unique as a Nursery to Grade 8 School. We function very much as a family, where older students help younger students, and we use every opportunity to group students together for the purpose of learning. We see our Junior High setting as an extension of our elementary. It is a safe environment where home and schoool work together for the good of the children. We welcome input into the running of our school.
Each year our staff works together to establish goals for the coming year. We combine specific academic goals for students in conjunction with striving to teach appropriate social skills. Connecting strongly with community has been a goal each and every year since we consider it very important. This handbook is one step in this process.
The Earl Grey Handbook may be viewed by scrolling down the page, or specific information may be located by clicking on any of the bookmarks listed in the table below!
The staff and families of Earl Grey are committed to providing a dynamic learning environment in which students develop personal responsibility and respect for others.
Nursery : 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Kindergarten: 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Grades 1 - 8: 9:00 - 11:55 a.m.
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
The bell rings for classes 5 minutes before 9:00 and 1:00. Students wwho arrive late are asked to sign in at the office so we know they are in school. This helps us to keep our callback system accurate, ensuring the safety of all children.
Supervision on the playground starts before school at 8:45 a.m. and at lunch at 12:45 p.m. Students should arrive at school only when there is supervision. In cold weather, it is important to dress appropriately.
The Callback Program is set up as a safety check for your children. When your child is going to be absent or late, we ask that you notify the schoool. If we have received no notification and a child does not arrive at school, a call is made to check on theri whereabouts. A parent would then be aware if their child has not arrived at school.
There will be early dismissal at 3:00 p.m. from January to June the first Tuesday of every month for staff meetings.
There has traditionally been an active Parent Council at Earl Grey School. We encourage all parents to come out to meetings. In 1993, the Winnipeg School Division saw the beginning of School-Based Decision-Making. Parents meet with representatives from all employee groups of the staff to give input into important decisions at the school level. We also work closely to plan many joint school community events. Meetings are generally held monthly in the evening from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the staff room on the second floor. At each meeting we decide on the date for the following meeting.
Input from parents is highly valued by the school, and new members are certainly always welcome. Typical meetings include discussions on educational issues or new policies, fundraising plans, an update on school activities and events, a financial report, news from the South End Advisory Committee, and other pertinent items.
At Earl Grey School we have an active and effective Volunteer Program. Volunteers are truly seen as "partners in education", and we appreciate that they share their time and talent with our school.
We have benefited from the services of many generous and enthusiastic volunteers who have assisted in various areas throughout the school:
Early in the school year a volunteer orientation will be held in order to familiarize all volunteers with procedures and expectations related to volunteerism. This will also give volunteers a chnce to meet staff members and other volunteers in the school.
Every spring a special volunteer assembly is held to express our appreciation for all the contributions made by the volunteers over the year.
Volunteers are always welcome at any time during the school year. There is a variety of opportunities on either a regular or casual basis. Feel free to contact the school (474-1441) at any time if you are interested in volunteering on a regular or casual basis.
A school newsletter is sent home during the last week of each month for the information of all parents in the community. It includes a calendar of events for the following month listed. These newsletters contain very important information, so please check with your children if you have not received one. There may be additional memos or reminders sent out during the course of the month.
The Child Guidance Clinic works with the school to provide specialized service in the following areas:
a) Speech and Hearing: Assessments and therapy are provided for children who have speech, language, and hearing problems.
b) Reading: Assessments and additional program planning are provided for children who are experiencing difficulty in reading.
c) Psychology: Assessments are provided in measuring children's potential so that the school can program appropriately. In addition, help is provided for the social and emotional needs of students.
d) Social Work: Assistance is provided for the school staff, the family home, and the child when there is a need for a closer tie between the home and the school.
Earl Grey has a counsellor available to meet the social and emotional needs of the student population. This service is delivered in Family Life/Personal Safety classes in Grade 7 & 8 health classes. The counsellor, nurse, and health teacher work in cooperation to address the following topics:
Grade 7 Curriculum
1. Importance of Families
2. Relationships and Responsibilities
3. Human Growth and Development
4. Sexual Abuse Prevention
5. Promoting Positive Lifestyle Practices
Grade 8 Curriculum
1. Importance of Families
2. Human Growth and Development
3. Dilemmas and Issues
4. Promoting Positive Lifestyle Practices
The counsellor is also available to meet with those students who are experiencing school and/or school problems.
CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE POLICY
I. Classroom Code of Rules
Each classroom has developed a code of rules for students to follow in their classrooms.
II. Earl Grey School Code of Rules
III. Possible Consequences if Students Do Not Follow Rules
If a student leaves the classroom or school without permission, he or she is not permitted back without a parent. Similarly we have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate language.
Please note that suspensions are given, in accordance with school division policy, for violent actions done to others. We ask for your support in reducing and eliminating violent behaviour. It is the School Board's policy to expel students who bring weapons to school or who seriously threaten the safety of staff or students.
IV. Help Steps That We May Take if a Problem Occurs
Earl Grey School has the following in place to ensure the safety of our students:
Earl Grey School has the following dress code:
The Conflict Managers are a group of students who are trained to help other students on the playground. There are three main areas that the program focuses on:
1. Providing Earl Grey students with problem solving skills that can be used in daily life.
2. Providing selected students with mediating skills in order to help solve peer problems with a minimum of adult intervention.
3. To reduce the amount of playground violence which, in turn, improves school climate.
The Earl Grey School safety patrol is composed of Grades 4-6 students. Patrols are required to be on their corners 4 times daily - 8:45 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
For their services, patrols are treated to the occasional movie, two 1/2 day roller skating sessions per year, free roller skating sessions on Monday evenings at the Saints Roller Rink, as well as a day at Skinner's Wet and Wild in Lockport, towards the end of the school year. Supervisors are also given McDonald's certificates to hand out during the year.
Recruiting and training for the following year takes place in June. The recruits are chosen from the Grade 4 classes. Recruits go oon patrol with the current year's patrol for two weeks to learn how the job is to be handled. For the last two weeks of June, the "rookies" patrol alone.
So far at Earl Grey School we have been fortunate to have not had a mishap at any of our patrolled corners. This is largely due to the effectivness of our patrols.
Recess is for students in Grades 1-6. It takes place froom 10:15 or 10:30 a.m. and from 2:10 to 2:25 p.m. Students are generally outdoors for recess and so they should be properly dressed. A medical note should accompany a parent's request to keep a child in for recess, otherwise it is assumed that the children will be outdoors except for extremely cold weather. There is good supervision on the playground; a teacher and a teacher assistant are always on duty. Our Conflict Manager program helps students to solve their own conflicts, and this program is working very well.
ADMINISTERING MEDICATION TO STUDENTS
Where possible, it is appreciated if medication is administered by parents at home. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to administer medication to students at school. In this latter case, we follow divisional policy.
a) The parents must request that the medication be administered at school, and a letter from a medical doctor must accompany the request from home. A form letter is available from the school that the doctor can fill out, if you choose.
b) The medication must be brought to the school by the parent or guardian (not by the student).
c) The medication containers must have the offical label of the druggist on it and must provide instructions for disposal.
There are four official reporting periods during the school year. They occur in November, January?February, April, and June. In November we send out a written report and hold Parent-Teacher intervies. In January/February, there is a regular written report only. In April there are Parent-Teacher interviews (with a written report for Junior High but not for elementary students, except on request), and in June there is a written report on the last day.
Teachers are continually evaluating the progress that the students are making. If ever a parent has any concern, they should feel free to contact the school for information without waiting for an official reporting period.
In the event of extremely severe weather conditions, it is the Superintendent's decision to close schools. In such events, an announcement will be broadcast over the following radio stations:
Anyone peeking into the Early Childhood classrooms at Earl Grey will see and hear the sights and sounds of very busy children. The students are totally engaged in expanding their sight and touch senses at the Art centre, exploring "roles" at the Pretend centre, developing academic skills at the computer, and learning to "see" at the Science centre among others.
Students are encouraged to listen effectively, respect each others' feelings and make choices that will affect their experiences each day.
The Nursery/Kindergarten rooms at Earl Grey are full of space to explore and use in different ways. The children are encouraged to think positively and creatively about their world and how best to get along with our friends and teachers in the classroom and in the school at large.
Nursery students must be 4 years of age by December 31. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by that date. If you know of other children in the neighbourhoood that might come to our program, please pass the word on. Parents are welcome to visit the programs.
Earl Grey has had extremely successful all-girls classes at the Grades 7 and 8 levels. We are currently in our fifth year, with students coming to us from all over the city. Classes are girls only for all of the major subjects: language arts, science, math, social studies, physical education, and health. Girls are together with boys in our option subjects; students choose two of French, Art, Band, and Computers. We also have a middle years enrichment program that is coeducational.
Our all-girls classes specialize in Math, Science, and Technology. With awards and grants from Hewlett-Packard, the Nortel Institute, and the federal government, we have state of the art computer labs and a full-time technology specialist. Students can look forward to spending at least one hour per cycle using technology to help them learn Math and Science. A highly specialized science program involves many hands-on experiments, with field studies using specialized sensors and probes. Students have fun while learning!
The research indicates that girls perform better academically in an all female environment. The students are encouraged to reache their potential, to become leaders, and to consider future careers involving math, science, and technology. The girls form close friendships and encourage one another in areas that have traditionally been dominated by males.
We have excellent academic results in our all-girls program. Twice the number of our Grade 8 Science students scored in the top 10% in recent testing compared with other schools tested. All the girls new to our program have improved previous math scores.
To register, call the school at 474-1441. Tours are available on request.
Earl Grey is entering its sixth year with alternative program classes. Alternative programs have the following features: there is a multi-age grouping (2 or 3 grades together), a thematic approach is used, a high component of parental involvement is encouraged, students should be independent learners, and programming is activity-based with a lot of hands-on, experential learning.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis, beginning the first day of school for the following school year. Students will be waitlisted for that year only if there is not enough space, and will have to reregister for the following year if they are not in the program. Once, in the program, there is no need to reregister. For more information, please contact the school at 474-1441.
MIDDLE YEARS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
We are looking for new and exciting ways to address the needs of students in the middle years. We have a small junior high and we work as a team to ensure the social and emotional devlopment of our students.
The following Enrichment classes are being offered for the 1999-2000 school year: babysitter's training, physical education leadership, technology, school newspaper, and outdoor education. Students are in groups of 15-18. They have three or four choices during the year corresponding to the four reporting periods. Guest speakers, field trips, and student demonstrations all add to the success of the program. All programs will be tied to the curriculum and will provide enrichment for the students.
The Earl Grey Children's Centre is a non-profit child care facility, incorporated in 1981, to provide school aged child care to community children.
The centre encloses a catchment area which includes Earl Grey School, Laverendrye School, St. Ignatius School, and some students who are bused to specialized programs in other schools. The facility is licensed and funded through the community services department of the provincial government and offers financially subsidized care through the child care system. Parents who require care for children in grades 1 - 6 are encouraged to call the centre office at 453-7387, or 453-6566, to enquire. Quality care, and service to the community is the goal of the program.
We have a wonderful band program in junior high at earl grey school. Students have the opportunity of selecting individual instruments from the percussion, woodwind, and brass families. These instruments are provided free of charge to students. The band program fosters the spirit of working together. One instrument alone can produce a beautiful sound. When we put all these single instruments together in our band we create a symphony of gorgeous sound.
Earl Grey School offers a comprehensive French program for each level in grade 1- 8. The primary program, "Pour Nos Petits Manitobains", is a conversational french program. its goals are to:
1. Expose english-speaking students to the french language
2. Foster a positive attitude toward french
3. Develop an awareness of french culture
The program for the Grade 4 - 6 students, is "Francais de Base", or basic French. This program deals with listening comprehension (33-45%), speaking (30-35%), reading (15%), and writing (10-15%). The junior high program directs its objectives towards communication. Students are expected to be able to communicate orally and to understand (60%), to read, and to write (40%). Activities are planned to enhance students' experience in the French classroom.
Meetings of the minds is a good term to describe Earl Grey School's library. It is here the students can find materials to develop their knowledge, analytical skills, literature appreciation and creative abilities. It is a place where discussions are encouraged and opinions are honoured. Newspapers and periodicals keep the students up to date about world events.
Literature appreciation is ongoing. The classes are exposed to a variety of authors, illustrators, literary patterns, styles and techniques. Oral book reports and presentations help to promote reading. Many books chosen during "story time" further develop a theme or topic from the classroom curriculum.
Many school-wide events are created and developed out of the library. Each classroom has an opportunity to come to the library for activities, storytime, skill building programs, and book exchange. Blocks of time are set aside for classrooms or individuals to do research projects which have been organized and developed by the teacher and the teacher-librarian. Our CD-ROM collection has been a big hit with all of our students!
The staff and students at Earl Grey School have continued to develop their technology skills during this past school year. The entire school has now been networked and we currently have 75 computer workstations throughout the school. Our first floor lab has 26 workstations (Pentiums), a laser printer, an LCD panel, and a flatbed scanner. The Hewlett Packard Technology Centre on the third floor contains 20 workstations (Pentiums), a laser printer, two colour inkjet printers, a flatbed scanner, and a projection gun. The Hewlett Packard Technology Centre is also equiped with a large variety of scientific sensors and probes and their corresponding interfaces, as well as video capture cards. Several digital cameras and a video camera are also available for use by students and staff. Additionally, each of our classrooms contain two computer workstations (486's). Additional workstations are located in the Science lab and in the library.
The students at Earl Grey School are introduced to computers at a very early age. Kindergarten students visit the lab once per cycle to learn basic computer skills and terminology. They also work once per cycle with their Grade 4, 5, & 6 "Computer Buddies" on a variety of curriculum related projects. Students at the elementary level receive regular instruction and work on basic skills, such as word processing and keyboarding. Additionally, elementary students work on a variety of curriculum related projects that involve the use of the internet, e-mail, and multimedia authoring tools such as HyperStudio and/or PowerPoint.
Students at the junior high level spend a great deal of time working in our labs. Our Science and Technology program introduces the students at this level to scientific sensors and probes which are used both in the lab and in the field to collect, display, and manipulate data collected from their Science experiments. Junior High students also use a computer-guided Math program, "The Learning Equation", to reinforce math concepts being taught in the classroom. Students are also introduced to spreadsheets and data bases. In Language Arts and Social Studies, the students have many opportunities to work on word processing activities, internet and e-mail projects, and to produce multimedia presentations.
Junior High students taking Computer Options and/or Computer Enrichment learn how to design and create web sites and animated graphics (including Claymation). They are given the opportunity to learn and work with a large variety of software packages, including Microsoft Office, Publisher, Front Page etc. The students work on a large variety of projects, such as electronic portfolios, that incorporate the use of the internet, e-mail, and multimedia authoring tools which are designed to further develop their computer skills and knowledge.
Recently, Earl Grey School was named a member of the Network of Innovative Schools. Throughout the year, we will be working in conjuction with Industry Canada and our twenty-three partner schools from across Canada to further our knowledge in ICT (Information Communication Technology) and to mentor other schools on how ICT can be effectively integrated within the many areas of the curriculum. We are very proud of our accomplishments and remain committed to the belief that all students must be provided with the opportunities to attain the technology skills necessary for them to become contributing members in our global society.